TEHRAN (Tasnim) – At a trilateral meeting of defense ministers of Iran, Russia and Syria in Tehran, the Iranian side called for a unified and decisive approach by the regional countries to counter terrorism, and stressed the need for a halt to the financial supports for the terrorist groups.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Russian and Syrian counterparts, Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoygu and Fahd Jassem al-Freij, held a trilateral meeting in Tehran on Thursday to discuss the latest regional developments and coordinate efforts in the fight against terrorism.

In his address to the gathering, the Iranian defense minister described the first and most important step for the restoration of stability and security in the crisis-hit areas in the region as “comprehensive ceasefire, creation of a situation for relief aid and humanitarian activities, and at the same time prevention of equipping and supporting the terrorist groups as well as decisive military action against them.”

Iran believes that the solution to the crises in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere is firm and indiscriminate battle against terrorists, total cut-off of financial and political supports for the terrorist groups until their eradication, and providing calm and secure conditions for the people of those countries to decide their own fate, Dehqan added.

As regards the fighting in Syria, Dehqan underlined that Iran is in favor of a guaranteed ceasefire that would not help reinforce the terrorist groups.

He also took a swipe at the hegemonic system for its fake counterterrorism advocacy, making a reference to the moves that legitimize the backing provided by the US, Saudi Arabia and some other regional sates for the terrorists in the guise of support for moderate opposition.

The Iranian minister then raised the alarm about employment of chemical weapons by Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group and the possibility of it gaining access to nuclear weapons, which would mark a “devastating catastrophe” for global security.

Dehqan finally expressed the hope that the regional countries would hold consultation and make strategic decisions to tackle a dangerous plot aimed at creating insecurity, undermining the territorial integrity of regional countries and damaging their national sovereignty.

Elsewhere in the gathering, the Russian and Syrian defense ministers also expressed their views on the ways to step up anti-terror fight, and hailed Iran for initiating the trilateral meeting.

Iran and Russia, known as the main allies of Syria, have been looking for a solution to a crisis that has plagued the Arab country for more than five years.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with Takfiri terrorists, including the Daesh terrorist group, currently controlling parts of it, mostly in the east.

The Syrian conflict has killed at least 260,000 people, according to the UN, and more than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22.4 million has been internally displaced or fled abroad.